Pelvic implants are used to treat various ailments. For example, pelvic implants are used to perform prolapse repair and to treat urinary incontinence. Such implants are often composed of a knitted mesh that, once implanted, enables the ingrowth of soft tissue to fix the implant in place. Although various implants have been proposed, many do not adequately conform to the anatomy of the patient.
Positioning an implant within the human body, such as within the pelvis, can be challenging due to the anatomy of the body and the placement of the implant that may be required to treat a given ailment. For instance, the treatment of rectocele may require accessing the vaginal vault from a position deep within the pelvis so as to form a passage in which a portion, such as an anchoring arm, of the implant can be placed. Given the configuration and dimensions of the human pelvis and its organs, it can be difficult to navigate a needle through such a tortuous path without causing damage to or otherwise disrupting the tissues of the pelvis, such as the pelvic floor muscles.